Gibson Acoustic proudly has recreated of one of the most important acoustic guitars, from one of the most original artists to emerge from the punk and new wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s: The Elvis Costello Century of Progress acoustic — the first artist guitar in Gibson Acoustic’s new Songwriter Series.

The new Elvis Costello Century of Progress acoustic is fashioned after Costello’s beloved 1936 model, which was left in pieces following a bizarre flood at the Dublin storage facility where he kept his instruments. The new model is a painstaking recreation of Costello’s favorite acoustic, used to record and perform many of the songs that made him the iconic musician that he is.

Culling information from photos of Costello’s treasured instrument and the original blueprints from the 1930s, Gibson Acoustic’s team of master luthiers were able to successfully reproduce every attribute of Costello’s prized acoustic. The result is an amazing recreation of a legendary instrument, with flawless accuracy and immaculate attention to detail.

“It’s a marvelous piece of work,” Costello told Gibson. “The prototype was just remarkable. In every respect, the tone is exactly as I would expect it to be if I were to pick up my original Century of Progress.”

No feature was overlooked in the creation of the Elvis Costello Century of Progress acoustic. From the figured Hard Rock Eastern maple used for the back and sides to the Adirondack spruce used for the top and bracing, including vintage-style glue used to put it all together. The new Elvis Costello Century of Progress acoustic also offers a distinct peghead veneer and pearloid fingerboard, adorned by diamond inlays within rosewood rectangle fingerboard markers. The neck is crafted from one solid piece of Honduras mahogany, and hand-sanded to form a pronounced “V” profile.

The new Elvis Costello Century of Progress from Gibson Acoustic will be released in a very limited run of only 300 instruments, numbered from 001 to 300, with an exclusive black hard-shell case adorned with a special Elvis Costello/Gibson stamped commemorative plaque and certificate of authenticity. Each guitar’s label will also be personally autographed by Costello.